Fishing reel

ABSTRACT

A fishing reel includes two spaced spools with the line stored on the spools in the form of elongated loops which encircle both spools. When casting, the spools do not rotate and the elongated loops slip from the spools in the manner of a spinning reel. The line is retrieved and wound on the spools by a belt arranged around pulleys or drive wheels on both spools with a handle connected to the belt for rotation of the belt. In one embodiment, the reel frame is pivotally mounted to the rod to position the spool axes parallel to the rod for casting and at right angles to the rod for rewinding the line.

United States Patent ['19] Sherman Mar. 5,1974

[ FISHING REEL [22] Filed: Feb. 12, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 332,051

52 us. ca. 43/25, 43/20, 242/842 B 51 1nt.Cl A01k 89/00 [58] Field ofSearch 43/25, 20, 24; 242/842 B, 242/106 [56] References Cited UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 399,588 3/1889 Washburn 43/25 2,083,689 6/1937 Clifford242/842 B 2,100,428 11/1937 Bond 43/20 2,283,773 5/1942 Teitsma 43/20 X2,634,920 4/1953 Dunn 242/842 B 2,674,057 4/1954 Stewart.... 43/202,677,509 5/1954 Gage 242/842 B FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 645,52011/1950 Great Britain 43/20 1,538,527 7/1968 France 43/25 PrimaryExaminerbouis G. Mancene Assistant ExaminerDaniel J. Leach Attorney,Agent, or Firml-lenry C. Fuller [5 7] ABSTRACT A fishing reel includestwo spaced spools with the line Stored on the spools in the form ofelongated loops which encircle both spools. When casting, the spools donot rotate and the elongated loops slip from the spools in the manner ofa spinning reel. The line is retrieved and wound on the spools by a beltarranged around pulleys or drive wheels on both spools with a handleconnected to the belt for rotation of the belt. In one embodiment, thereel frame is pivotally mounted to the rod to position the Spool axesparallel to the rod for casting and at right angles to the rod forrewinding the line.

11 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures I FISHING REEL SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Thereel of the invention has the advantages of both spinning and. castingreels. Monofilament line and woven or braided line can' be used. Anincreased storage capacity as compared with prior art spinning andcasting and casting reels is afforded by the use of two spaced spoolswhich are rotatably supported on a frame. The line is stored on thespool in elongated loops arranged around both spools. In one embodiment,the reel frame is pivotally supported on a rod for movement from acasting position with the spool axes parallel to the longitudinal axisof the rod and a second position for retrieval with the spool axes atright angles to the rod as in a conventional casting reel. The shaftswhich carry the spools are provided with pulleys or sprockets forreceiving an endless belt or chain which is provided with a handle.Rewinding of the line is'acccmplished by rotatingthe belt and thus thespools. The use of the spaced spools increases the storage capacity ofthe reel and-provides good casting distance as the large loops slip offthe spools with a minimum resistance or drag. x 7

Further objects, advantages and features of the invention will becomeapparent from the following disclosure. I v

DRAWINGS FIG. l is a plan view of a'fishing reel in accordance with theinvention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the reel shown in FIG.1.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Although the disclosure hereof isdetailed and exact to enable those skilled in the art to'practice theinvention, the physical embodiments herein disclosed merely exemplifythe invention which may be embodied in other specific structure. Thescopeof the invention is defined in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a fishing rod 10 with a conventional reelseat 12. The fishing reel 14 includes a frame 16 which has apertures orbearings for rotatably supporting the spool axles l8 and in spacedrelationship. The spool axles 18 and 20 are respectively fixed to reelspools 22 and 24. Means are provided for connecting the reel to the rod10. In the disclosed construction (FIG.- 2), the means includesa bracket25 which is secured to the frame portion 16 and extends at right anglesthereto. The bracket 25 is rotatably connected to a post 26 which formspart ofa reel mounting base 28, which is connectable to the slip orclamp rings 30 on the rod reel seat 12.

Means are provided for rotating the spools to rewind arranged around theinner ends of the line spools. Alternatively, a wide belt can beemployed which forms a base for the stored line as well as a drivingconnection between both line spools. In addition to moving the belt witha handle on the belt, a crank on one axle can be employed, or variousgearing arrangements and an electric motor.

In use of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the reel 14 is oriented in thesolid line FIG. [position for casting and the line released from thereel with the hand of the user in a manner similar to that employed forthe conventional open faced spinning reel, by release of the line by afinger. After the cast, the reel is rotated about the post 26 to theposition shown in broken lines in FIG. I and the handle 36 manipulatedto rotate the spools and store the line in elongated loops on the spools22, 24.

g In FIG. 1 the spools 22, 24 have an annular flange 40 with afrusto-conical body portion 42 extending from the flange with the largediameter of the body at the free end of the spool. Other spoolconfigurations are shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, all of which have the annularflange 40 with different configurations for the body portions. v In FIG.3 the reel body has a cylindrical portion with a rounded nose 46. InFIG. 4, the spool has an annular groove 47 adjacent the annular flange40 with a body portion 48 tapered inwardly towards a rounded nose 50.The. various spool configurations have certain'ad vantages for differentfishing techniques. For instance, the FIG; 4 embodiment ispreferred forcasting because of its easy release of the loops. The FIG. 1 embodimentof the spool is preferred for trolling.

The modified embodiment of the reel shown in FIG. 3 includes independentmounting arrangements for each of the spools. Each spool has an axle 5lrotatably supported in a bearing 52. The bearings 52 are carried in'baseportions 54 which have outturned ears which are received on reel seatswith two slip or clamp rings 56. The axles 51 for the spools are eachprovided with a pulley or sprocket 60 for receiving a belt 62.

In'the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the axles remain at an angletransverse to the longitudinal axis of the rod. Casting is facilitatedby a guide means 64 which can be pivotally connected to therod by a hookand eye arrangement at'6 6 and spring biased by spring 68 tothe-position shown in dotted lines. When casting, the line is trainedthrough the loop 70 on the guide 64 and held 'in a positionapproximately perpendicular to the rod with the casting hand. The lineis also released during the castby the fingers on the casting hand. Whenline. In the disclosed construction, the means includes rewinding, theguide means 64 is releasedto the dotted line position and thelinerewound on the spools'by manipulating the crank 36. During rewinding,the spring tension will cause the-guide to remain tight against theloops with the guidemoving progressively outwardly of the spools asloops are added, thus providing a uniform winding process. The FIG. 3embodiment also can be arranged for adjustable line capacity by varyingthe spacing of the spools by adjustment of the position of the reelseats. In addition, the FIG. 3 embodiment can be used without the guideand the line played out with one hand.

Although the axes of the spools are shown as parallel in the drawings,the spool axes can be supported so they diverge outwardly at the freeends of the spools.

The fishing reel of the invention can be used both as a castingorspinning type reel, without the disadvantages of these types of reels.Gearing can be eliminated. thus substantially reducing cost. The natureof the line storage on my fishing reel is such that kinks, twists,backlashes, and other problems resulting from storage of tight, smalldiameter loops of line are eliminated.

What is claimed is: 4

l. A fishing reel comprising a pair of spaced line spools rotatableabout offset axes, means for supporting said spools on a fishing rod andmeans for simulta:

neously rotating both of said spools to rewind fishing line in elongatedloops trained about both of said spools.

2. A fishing reel in accordance with claim'l wherein said means forsupporting said reel on a fishing rod includes a frame and a bracketadapted to be pivotally connected to a rod to afford movement of saidreel from a casting position with the axes of said spools-extendingparallel to said rod and a rewind position with the axes of said spoolstransverse to the longitudinal axis of the rod.

3. A 'fishing'reel in accordance with claim 1- in which said. means forsupporting said spools on'a fishing rod includes individual mountingbrackets for each of said spools. I

4. A fishing reel in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means forsupporting said spools comprises spool axles and said means for rotatingsaid spools comprises driving wheels on each of said spools and anelongated flexible member arranged around said wheels and meansconnected to said. flexible member to afford movement ofsaid flexiblemember around said driving wheels to rotate said spools.

5. A fishing reel in accordance with claim 1 wherein said spools have afrusto-coriical shape extending from an annular flange with an annulargroove adjacent said flange. I

6. A fishing reel in accordance with claim 1 wherein said spools have acylindrical body with a tapered nose.

7. A fishing reel in accordance with claim 1 wherein said spools have afruSto-conical shape extending from an annular flange with the smallestdiameter of said frustoconical portions at the free end of the spools.

8. A fishing reel in accordance with claim 1 wherein said'spools have afrusto-conical shape extending from an annular flange with the largestdiameter of said frustoconical portions at the free end of the spools.

9. A fishing reel in accordance with claim 3 in combination with afishing rod having a handle and two spaced reel seats and line guidesand guide means connected to said rod handle and extending outwardlyfrom said handle intermediate said spools and including a guide memberto guide line off said spools in an initial both spools.

1. A fishing reel comprising a pair of spaced line spools rotatableabout offset axes, means for supporting said spools on a fishing rod andmeans for simultaneously rotating both of said spools to rewind fishingline in elongated loops trained about both of said spools.
 2. A fishingreel in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means for supporting saidreel on a fishing rod includes a frame and a bracket adapted to bepivotally connected to a rod to afford movement of said reel from acasting position with the axes of said spools extending parallel to saidrod and a rewind position with the axes of said spools transverse to thelongitudinal axis of the rod.
 3. A fishing reel in accordance with claim1 in which said means for supporting said spools on a fishing rodincludes individual mounting brackets for each of said spools.
 4. Afishing reel in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means forsupporting said spools comprises spool axles and said means for rotatingsaid spools comprises driving wheels on each of said spools and anelongated flexible member arranged around said wheels and meansconnected to said flexible member to afford movement of said flexiblemember around said driving wheels to rotate said spools.
 5. A fishingreel in accordance with claim 1 wherein said spools have afrusto-conical shape extending from an annular flange with an annulargroove adjacent said flange.
 6. A fishing reel in accordance with claim1 wherein said spools have a cylindrical body with a tapered nose.
 7. Afishing reel in accordance with claim 1 wherein said spools have afrusto-conical shape extending from an annular flange with the smallestdiameter of said frustoconical portions at the free end of the spools.8. A fishing reel in accordance with claim 1 wherein said spools have afrusto-conical shape extending from an annular flange with the largestdiameter of said frustoconical portions at the free end of the spools.9. A fishing reel in accordance with claim 3 in combination with afishing rod having a handle and two spaced reel seats and line guidesand guide means connected to said rod handle and extending outwardlyfrom said handle intermediate said spools and including a guide memberto guide line off said spools in an initial direction transverse to thelongitudinal axis of said rod and in a subsequent direction toward saidline guides.
 10. A fishing reel in accordance with claim 9 wherein saidguide means includes means for pivotally mounting said guide means tosaid rod handle for movement from a casting position to a rewindposition.
 11. A reel for storing an elongated flexible member comprisinga pair of spaced storage spools, means for supporting the spools inspaced relation, and means for simultaneously rotating both of saidspools to rewind the flexible member in elongated loops trained aboutboth spools.